G.I. Joe #4 comes out swinging with a high-velocity issue that pits the Joes against insurmountable odds while making you believe they’ve got just the tiniest sliver of a chance to succeed. That’s been around since the book’s first issue but is especially poignant in issue #4, and it can’t help but endear you that much more to this ragtag crew just trying to get the job done and survive to make it home. That allows the larger-than-life franchise elements and characters to maximize their impact without losing the moment-to-moment tension of what’s happening to the book’s heroes, and if that isn’t G.I. Joe at its core then I don’t know what is.
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Joshua Williamson continues to navigate that balancing act to great success, hitting with big action sequences that lean into the spectacle and fun of the franchise while still keeping the attention on this evolving (and still a bit dysfunctional) team of Joes. A brilliant example of this is found in the issue’s first few pages, with the team in the midst of a high-speed escape from the Crimson Twins. These characters, the vehicles they drive, and the weapons they use are all bigger than life, but it always comes back to the characters at the center of the story, and you most certainly care what happens to them.
That particular sequence and several more throughout the issue are absolutely gorgeous by the way, and the brilliant team of artist Tom Reilly, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Rus Wooton also makes each action set piece feel unique and distinct from what’s come before.
The book’s brand new character Risk brings some welcome unpredictability and mystery to the series, and so far the issues between Risk and just about everyone make for comedy gold. That said, Cobra kind of steals the show here, both in terms of their grand plans and their roster of characters, and it certainly feels like the Joes are getting their butts handed to them quite a bit, both in this issue and in the series overall.
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That underdog element though is important, and it’s something I’ve grown to love. This issue heavily plays into that element, and while the jury is out on whether Duke is just unhinged or knows something we all don’t, I still can’t help but give him the benefit of the doubt. The unpredictability of this series is one of its key strengths, and the series isn’t likely to let that go anytime soon.
The team has found a way to ground the core concept of G.I. Joe and its characters without losing the epic fun that made the franchise such a hit in the first place.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Published by Skybound
On February 19, 2025
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Tom Reilly
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Letters by Rus Wooton
What did you think of G.I. Joe #4? Let us know in the comments and you can also talk all things comics and G.I. Joe with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
